Re: Jack Rye?

Negative...just got off the phone with Jeff Arnett doing an interview that will be in this weekend's WhiskyCast. The mashbill is 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malted barley. Chuck, you're right...they did run it through the charcoal after distillation and before bottling. He says they didn't call it whiskey because it hadn't spent any time in the barrel, which is why they're calling it "Unaged Rye". IMHO, the charcoal really adds something to this one...it knocks off the rough edges that we see in most unaged ryes, while bringing out some great fruity notes on the taste and more sweetness than you'd normally expect from an unaged rye. They have 800+ barrels that were laid down late last year, and those will be the foundation for an aged version that we'll see in a few years.

Re: Jack Rye?

Originally Posted by Gillman

But what proof was it distilled at?

This is the biggest question I have too. I'd have to say that it seems strange that they would lay down barrels of neutral spirits for aging, but why in the world would they label this bottle as neutral spirits if that's not what it is?

Re: Jack Rye?

Originally Posted by HighInTheMtns

This is the biggest question I have too. I'd have to say that it seems strange that they would lay down barrels of neutral spirits for aging, but why in the world would they label this bottle as neutral spirits if that's not what it is?

It's not neutral spirits, gang. Just confirmed the following with Jeff Arnett: 1: Rye-based mashbill (see my post above) distilled at 140 proof (70% abv). The spirit that's being laid down in casks is at traditional barrel strength 62.5% abv (125 proof), and both aged and unaged versions will be bottled at 40% abv (80 proof). As for not using the "whiskey" labeling, Jeff advises that they have TTB approval to call the unaged spirit "Tennessee Rye", but since they're not even putting into casks for a few minutes, they cannot use "whiskey" on the label. In Jeff's words, they're following the traditional Jack Daniel's whiskey-making process right up to the point where it goes into the barrel...and bottle it instead.

Re: Jack Rye?

Re: Jack Rye?

Can't understand that pricing at all. This costs more than JDSB, for an 80 proofer... truly one of the most ridiculous price points I've seen on anything. Did Jeff mention anything about the price in your interview, Mark? Maybe this is just while it's a gift shop item?

Re: Jack Rye?

It's like any other gift shop or limited-release product, and I fully expect there will be Jack collectors that just have to have a bottle. I wouldn't have priced it that high, but then, I'm not a marketing guy.